


Sunlight

by thenakednymph



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Fluff, Get Together, Happy Ending, Keith validating Lance, Lance is BEAUTIFUL, Lance validating Keith, M/M, Minor Angst, So much flower symbolism, everyone is valid and valued, flangst, klance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-24
Updated: 2019-06-24
Packaged: 2020-05-18 17:04:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,867
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19338814
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thenakednymph/pseuds/thenakednymph
Summary: Lance takes a moment in the sun and Keith is full of validation.





	Sunlight

**Author's Note:**

> You'd think after sixty fics I'd be tired of them but nope.

Lance draws to a stop, watching dust motes spin through the shaft of light ahead of him. It’s like it hasn’t occurred to him this is the first time he’s been in honest to god sunlight for months. 

It’s warm and gold, filtering down through the yellow and rose colored canopy, hazy like liquid amber. Lance stares up at it in awe, unable to keep moving. 

Keith stops behind him, coiled tight, searching out whatever danger has drawn Lance up short. Lance can’t stop staring at the light, something hungry deep inside him, almost primal, desperate to feel it against his skin. 

His hand shakes as he reaches for the beam of light, and it washes over his hand like warm wine, slowly heating the thick material of his gloves. His eyes drift closed and a deep sigh escapes him.

“Lance?”

Lance’s bayard collapses and he reaches up, removing his helmet before stepping into the light, tipping his head back. Sunlight washes over him, painting him in pink and gold, the rays shifting as they filter down through the leaves overhead, swaying in the zephyr. His hair moves gently in the breeze, a faint smile on his lips as he bathes in the light.

Wilted is not a word Keith has ever associated with Lance. He’s too alive, too full of energy; but as Lance turns his face to the sun, like a flower seeking the light, Keith can’t help but think Lance was wilting in space. 

Now, under the sun, he’s blooming, cheeks flushed, expression soft, a smile curled in the corners of his mouth, lazy as a cat. All Keith can do is stare. 

Without opening his eyes Lance removes his gloves, tucking them behind his belt and turns his palms up as if catching rain. There are tears in his eyes.

That smile never leaves his face and something overwhelming seizes Keith’s heart at the sight. This is a quiet Lance, something peaceful he’s never seen before and it has him lowering his bayard without meaning to, captivated as Lance blooms, gilded in golden sunlight. 

_ Beautiful,  _ his mind supplies, awed at the sight. 

When Lance opens his eyes they’re wet and bluer than Keith can remember them ever being. More alive than they’ve been in months. The shift had been so subtle, so gradual he’d missed it. 

“I don’t hate you,” Lance whispers, palms still collecting sunlight and it takes Keith a moment to process what he’s said. 

“What?”

Lance dips his head to the side, their eyes meeting and Keith loses his breath. Lance is dripping in sunlight, more attractive than he’d been the one time they’d actually managed to get to the pool on the ship and into the water. Keith doesn’t know how that’s possible but it is. 

“I don’t hate you,” he says again and Keith frowns.

“I know that.” He’d thought they’d gotten past that, that they were friends now. 

Lance’s eyes sparkle, his smile still so soft and fond. 

“Good.” He turns his face back to the sun, blindly following the light and Keith catches the shadows of freckles across his nose and cheeks. He hadn’t noticed they’d started to fade.

“I hated never being good enough,” Lance whispers. “I hated forever being compared to you whether I wanted to be or not.” He traces patterns in the leaves with his eyes, Keith tracing their shadows over Lance’s face. 

“You didn’t even have to be there anymore for your name to hang over my head like the sword of Damocles,” he breathes, words tainted with guilt, “and that isn’t your fault. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have taken my frustration and anger at Iverson and the Garrison out on you,” he goes on. The words are soft, slow and sweet as molasses on his tongue. “It was misplaced and wrong and you deserved better. I’m sorry. I should have told you months ago.”

Keith blushes, unable to really pinpoint the emotion in Lance’s voice.

He clears his throat and looks away, feeling Lance’s eyes on him like a physical weight.

“So why now?”

Lance’s smile goes lopsided. “Because you deserve to hear it.” He looks at Keith and his eyes are liquid warm. “Because you deserve an apology. Because it wasn’t your fault.” He looks at Keith and when their eyes meet Keith is too enraptured to look away. 

“Because I was wrong.

“You’re everything I was never good enough to be. And I let that insecurity fester and hurt and haunt me. And then I took it out on you. And that wasn’t fair.” He searches Keith’s eyes.  “I’m sorry.”

Keith shifts uncomfortably. “Why are you telling me this?””

“Because I never apologized. And I should have.” Lance picks up his helmet and dons gloves again. Keith is sad to see this new side of Lance go, wants to keep him there and something stupid spills out of him.

“You’re all I’ve ever wanted.”

Lance freezes, eyes flying up to Keith’s. “What?” Lance’s mouth works silently and he stares at Keith dumbly, trying to figure out what it is he wants to say to that. What he  _ can  _ say.

“Me?”

Keith nods, cheeks warm in a way that has nothing to do with the sun. 

“You’re everything I’m not,” he says weakly. “That I never will be. You succeed in every way I’ve ever failed.” His eyes are painfully expressive and Lance’s heart squeezes, watching the play of emotion through them. “Maybe if I’d been more like you…” Keith bites off the rest of the sentence, flushing with shame and old pain, looking away, swallowing it back. 

“Then what?” Lance probes gently and somehow that’s all it takes for Keith to admit the truth, to bring his eyes back around.

“Then maybe someone would have wanted me.” It hurts to say, like ripping open an old wound he’d thought long buried. Instead tears burn at his eyes, tightening his throat. “But I’m too angry and fucked up and broken and no one ever did.”

His body is rigid when Lance closes the distance between them, yanking Keith into a hug. He holds him tight, chin tucked over Keith’s shoulder.

“I do,” he whispers and Keith’s breath hitches, hands wavering before coming up to wrap around Lance, holding on.

“I’m sorry, this isn’t how I imagined telling you,” Lance says. “And I know you have no reason to believe me after how I’ve acted.” He pulls back to look Keith in the eye, swiping away what tears he can from under Keith’s helmet. 

“But I do. I want what we could be because boy do we have potential.” His expression sobers. “You were always just so out of my league and it seemed so stupid to try.”

“Try,” Keith rasps, fingers tightening. “Please try. I’m not out of anyone’s league.” He shakes his head rapidly, wanting. “I just don’t think I’m worth the fight.”

Lance pulls his helmet off, Keith’s wild hair spilling free and Lance’s gaze settles on him heavily. 

“Yes you are,” he says firmly, cupping Keith’s cheek and ducking his head, trying to impress the weight of his words into Keith. 

_ “Yes you are.” _

“I don’t feel like it,” he admits, eyes still on the ground.

Lance smiles sadly. “Hey, if I’m worth it you are too.”

Keith searches his eyes, something like wonder mixed with horror in his expression. 

“You really have no idea how important you are do you?” He catches Lance’s wrist. 

Lance’s expression turns to something like pity, like he’s just playing along to make Keith feel better.

“I’m just a guy.”

Keith’s grip on Lance’s wrist tightens. 

“That’s not true.”

“Yes it is.” He pets Keith’s hair back. “And it’s okay. I accepted that a long time ago.” 

Keith is furious on his behalf. “Who made you feel so worthless?” He searches Lance’s eyes, utterly resigned and can’t wrap his head around it.

“None of this would be possible without you.” Lance’s expression is self-indulgent and Keith scowls. “No, shut up,  _ listen  _ to me.” He holds Lance’s gaze. “The Galra would have taken Earth after Shiro crashed if not for  _ you. _ No matter what I did, I never made it any further than that cavern, never made it to Blue, and never would have been good enough to wake her. That was all you.” He shakes Lance’s arm, trying to get through to him. 

“Lance, you’re the fulcrum, the tipping point, the catalyst for change. You’re the spark that lights the fuse.” There’s something in his eyes, like Lance is finally hearing him. 

“You could raise armies with nothing more than your voice,” Keith says softly. “How do you not know how amazing you are?”

Lance drags in a ragged breath, heart pound and leaving him light headed. “Because no one’s ever told me.” He squeezes his eyes shut, tears slipping down his cheeks and his posture sags.

“All I ever see or hear are my mistakes, about how I’m not good enough and never will be no matter what I do. I’m never  _ good enough _ .” 

“You’re better,” Keith whispers cupping his face with both hands. Lance lets out a strangled sound, curling in on himself and Keith draws him into a much needed hug. 

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to make you cry.” 

Lance shakes his head vehemently, clutching him tighter. 

“Not a bad thing,” he chokes. 

Lance cries himself out, pulling away afterwards and wiping at his face. 

“God I’m a mess,” he sniffles and Keith reaches up to wipe away his tears. 

Keith smiles. “You’re beautiful.”

Lance flushes under the mottling of his cheeks. “You’re terrible.” He covers his face with a hand, mortified. 

Keith laughs, tugging it away. “I can’t kiss you like that.” 

“God why would you want to,” he mutters, still embarrassed. 

Keith leans into his space. The way Lance has his head ducked to hide just makes it easier for Keith to hover a breath away. 

“You know why.” 

He kisses the corner of Lance’s mouth, lingering there. When he pulls away Lance turns into him and Keith finally presses a kiss to his lips. 

Lance’s stomach flips, the anticipation shivering through him. It feels like swallowing sunlight and Lance can feel flowers blooming in his chest. 

It’s been ages since he last kissed anyone and it was never like this. 

He feels Spring unfurling in his heart as Keith kisses him, tastes home, and sees stars. 

Lance breaks away, dragging in a breath. 

“I’d love to keep kissing you because wow,” he breathes, “but I really can’t breathe.”

Keith laughs, reaching down to scoop up his discarded helmet. 

“Come on, we’re supposed to be scouting.” He gives Lance a good natured shove ahead of him. “Now go on. I’ll be right behind you.” 

“Better not be staring at my ass.” Lance snatches up his own helmet. 

Keith’s grin is sharp. “No promises.” His eyes drop deliberately and Lance flushes. “You look good in black.”

Lance makes a strangled noise in the back of his throat. “You’re terrible.” 

“You like it.” 

Lance shoves the helmet onto his head and marches through the foliage, his bayard flashing to life. 

“Oh god what have I done.” 


End file.
